The Meaning of Love
by mrs.sodapopcurtis
Summary: A fifteen year old Christy Curtis has managed to get by growing up with 7 boys now she must learn how to handle being a teenage girl amongst them (a greaser one at that) while dealing with peer pressure and a sudden interest in boys. How hard can it be ri


A/N: New story, yay! The other day I was in class and we were talking about some of the greatest authors of the 30's 40's 50's and 60's and someone brought up S.E. Hinton and I thought I heard them refer to Ponyboy as a girl (but they didn't) so then I was thinking about how the book would have turned out if Ponyboy was a girl. So then I started thinking about it and I came up with his awesome story line but then it was too weird so then I decided to write a ff about a Curtis sister. It's been so overused but I wanna see where I can go with this story so I'll give it a try. Hope you guys like it.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original Outsiders characters.

Chapter 1- Chaos

Blinding light filled the room as Ponyboy; my soon to be dead brother opened the shades. I blinked and fussed around in my bed before I decided that I was just not going to get furious and give him the satisfaction of knowing it, like he wanted me to, instead I decided to keep on sleeping. I turned my back to the window and continued my breath taking fantasy dream about me and Tyler Dayton. I felt myself dozing off to sleep.

I was awakening yet again by...who was that...Ponyboy!? Ohhhh, I would kill him this time.

"Nooo, leave me and Tyler alone. We're in love and we're going to get married." I guess I must have still been half asleep because Pony, who was sitting at the edge of my bed as I said this, broke into ear piercing laughter. I opened my eyes.

"Pony what the hell!?" I was kind of angry, I hated it when my brothers woke me up like this. I liked to take my time and blink away every drop of sleep before I got up.

After he stopped laughing and caught his breath Ponyboy looked at me like I was.....insane!

"Who's Tyler?" he asked and my eyes widened. No one was supposed to know about that. I might not be a hard ass who eats up her feelings and never tells anybody anything but I wouldn't appreciate this spreading around our gang. Which almost always seemes to happen.

"I.....he um.....just no one...." I stammered, and then I got angry at myself and stiffened up. "No one! Mind your own business!" I snapped.

Pony would have been hurt at the tone of my voice any day except today. He sprang up from the bed, ran into the living room before I was able to catch him by his shirt collar and loudly announced to everyone my crush. I didn't appreciate his choice of words.

"Hey guess what everyone!? Christie has a sizzling crush on a guy named Tyler. I just heard her fantasizing about him in her head. She must think he is one hot cupcake!" I groaned and walked in to the living room.

"Cupcake!?" I asked as I smacked Ponyboy on the back of the head. "You're not one to talk dreamarella." I smart mouthed. He walked off, looking a little bit hurt. He asked for it, I assured myself, trying not to feel guilty.

I stood in the hallway for a minute, studying the living room. It was a typical day at the Curtis resident. Johnny and Two-bit were sitting on the couch, watching tv, and I could hear Soda and Steve arguing about something in the kitchen. I winched at the noise that was in the house. The tv and the stereo were going on at the same time, both very loudly (the way it always is) plus the arguments, yelling, shouting, screaming and the laughter all added together made my head hurt.

"Morning guys" I said yawning.

Steve and Soda stuck their head out the kitchen door and Two bit and Johnny surprisingly turned around from the tv and they all chimed "Mornin' Christy" at the same time. I was amazed; I didn't think you could honestly hear anything over the noise in the house. I bet you could hear the racket all the way down the block. It was kind of annoying, but I got used to it, although I got a headache every time I walked into our living room. I yawned once again, still not completely being able to wake up and walked into the kitchen.

You could smell bacon and eggs right away, it was mouthwatering. I hadn't gotten that feeling ever since our parents died in a car wreck. Every time you walked into the kitchen you were overtaken by the smell of the wonderful things mom had cooked for that day. It has been a long time since we've had a decent meal, I thought to myself. Let's admit it, Darryl, my older brother wasn't the best cook. He was fine for a guy but he couldn't compare to mom. Lately it felt like all we've seem to have to eat was chicken or ready to cook lasagna or fast food. Not that Darry's chicken wasn't good, but I was just so sick of eating the same things over and over again.

"Morning Darry" I said, trying to look over his shoulder at what he was cooking, but it was near impossible. He was almost twice my size. "Mornin'" he mumbled trying not to burn the bacon. I finally gave up and walked back to the living room. I walked up to Two-bit and Johnny from behind the couch and put my arms around both of them. They were so caught up in the tv, I doubt that they even knew I was there. I leaned my head in between them and squinted at the tv. I couldn't quite make out what it was they were watching.

"What are you guys watching?" I asked casually.

Two bit turned around and stared at me in disbelief.

"Are you crazy!? It's Mickey! How can you not tell??"

"Maybe you really need glasses Chris" Johnny said in a quiet voice.

I was taken back yet I knew it was true. The tv was pulled up close to the couch so that it was nearly a foot away. But I would never admit that I needed glasses! They were dorky and stupid and I didn't need them. I got by ok....

"I do not need glasses Johnny Cade and you know it!" I nearly yelled.

I walked away and towards the kitchen door which was being blocked by Sodapop Curtis himself. He had just finished his cake and his face was covered with chocolate and he had the stupidest smirk on his face. I sighed.

"So, you really need those glasses don't you Chris?" he asked, still smiling.

I was getting pissed off. "No I don't Sodapop. I can see just as good as you or Johnny or Two bit!" I know I shouldn't have said that for two bit couldn't even walk in a straight line.

"More like Two bit when he's drunk!" Sodapop roared with laughter. I could hear Steve snickering in the kitchen and Johnny was quietly laughing to himself. I frowned. It was times like these when I hated living with all boys. I longed for a sister.

"Yeah!...." two bit started to say but when he realized it was an insult, he frowned "Hey!"

Darry walked into the living room then. And he did something he's never done before. Humiliate me in front of everyone (like I wasn't humiliated enough).

"Come on, Chris it wouldn't be that bad, then you could see Tyler better."

Anger arose in my eyes and I blushed. I was actually blushing! I'm not a total girly girl, lady like person but I'm not a total tomboy who wrestles with guy and works on cars either. I had my moments of toughness and moments of humiliation!

When the laughter died down, I decided to say something, just to protect my reputation, it would be a shame if all the guys thought I was a boy loving sissy. You grow up with 7 boys and you start to become more like them everyday. It was kind of depressing, since I actually had an interest in boys.

I opened my mouth but I couldn't figure out what to say. Instead I just went to the bathroom.

I took a good look at myself in the mirror. My cheeks were still a little rosy. I dragged a brush through my brown hair. It was long, like halfway down to my waist. My mom always made me cut it, cause she thought I looked beautiful with short hair but I liked it long. So I had started to grow it out ever since the accident. My hair was my trade mark, just like my brothers, although not a drop of grease ever touched my hair. I thought it was unclean. I had a pretty nice built, I was on the girls' soccer team at school and my arms and legs were muscley although they were very thin.

I walked into the living room in time to find Dallas walk in the door. He marched right up to the couch, slamming the door behind him and turned on the tv, which was now isolated by Two-bit and Johnny. He looked irritated. I was about to walk over to the couch and sit next to him when I heard Darry call my name.

"Chris, Ponyboy, breakfast."

"Just a minute" I yelled back.

I flopped down next to Dally and took a good look at him." He looked worn out, like he had been in a fight or something. I noticed his famous silver ring was back on his finger. He must've broken it off with Sylvia again. God, that whore, any girl would give everything to wear Dallas Winston's ring but that whore after she got it (which didn't take much effort since she was willing to sleep with Dally first chance she got) didn't know how to hold on to it. It's quite a shame, ever since Dally started going out with her, he had been the happiest I had seen him in a long time. That is I could tell with the very rare emotion Dally showed.

"Hey Dal!" I said cheerfully.

His eyes softened. Dally always had a weakness for me, come to think of it for Johnny too. I could never figure out why this was. This human being who has hardened to the point of not feeling anything, deep down cared for two kids he thought of as siblings. This made me think. To tell the truth, you could always tell Dally thought of Johnny as a younger brother, but with me, it was unclear. When I was younger, I remember Dally bringing me stuffed animals and stuff like that, that he stole from a gas station, but as I became older, it was more of a flirty/playful relationship than a brother/sister one. It was weird when you thought about it too much, but then I had always had the biggest crush on Dally. Whether that was because I've seen him at his best and at his worst and over the years I've watched Dally go through girlfriends faster than Ponyboy goes through books or because I've just simply thought he was good looking, and strong and.....

"Hey Chris, how are ya?" he broke into my thoughts.

I sighed. "Good, how about you?"

"Okay I guess."

"Anything new?" I asked nodding towards the silver ring that hung loosely around his index finger.

"Oh" he sighed. "Yeah, that damn whore was two-timing me again....i swear to god she has a death wish, that shameless slut....." he went on calling Sylvia everything nasty that he could think of. I nodded in agreement.

"Want some breakfast Dal?" I asked all of a sudden. I noticed how hungry I still was.

"Nah, I need to cool off a bit"

I shrugged and left Dal to his own thoughts.

I wondered what he was thinking. I just couldn't get it out of my head. Why was I thinking about Dally so much?? I felt somewhat anger towards him for thinking that someone like Sylvia could add up to anything in the first place. I decided to shrug it off and eat breakfast. But sadly by the time I got there Two-bit had already gotten a hold of it.

"Two-bit!" I said angrily. I was hungry!

He just laughed, stuffed the last of _my_ food in his mouth and flew out the door.

"Two bit Matthews, you're dead!" I yelled but didn't run after him. I decided it was a better idea to make some food instead.

By the time I was cooking up some eggs, Ponyboy had come into the kitchen and realized his food was long gone.

"Where's the food?" Pony asked frowning.

I laughed. "Two-bit" I simply answered.

After eating the food that I made for me and Pony, we did the dishes.

"So why am I dreamarella?" he asked while drying a plate.

I chuckled. "You were offended by that!?" he nodded, with embarrassment. "I just meant like, you're so into your thoughts, you're so deep and you always doze off" I messed up his hair with my soapy hands which pissed him off.

"Ugh" he said as he felt the soap in his hair. I laughed. "You know how long it took me to grease it the way I wanted!?" I sighed; I never understood why all of my brothers and our gang greased their hair. I preferred clean hair.

I dried my hands and walked into the living room. To my surprise, Dally was still sitting on the couch, staring off into the distance.

"Dal, what are you still doi-"I began but was interrupted by a girlish scream coming from the bathroom.

I immediately ran to the bathroom to see what the deal was. To my surprise the girlish scream belonged to my brother Pony.

"Pony what's wrong!?" I questioned then I couldn't help myself but burst into laughter. Pony was standing on the toilet holding his pants up.

I was laughing so hard, I hardly noticed Dally standing right behind me, wondering what the hell we were doing.

"Pony...whatth- hell?" I managed to get out between gasps of breath.

"A spider!" Pony pointed to the tiniest living creature that was standing in front of my feet.

I burst out laughing again, louder this time. And I could hear Dally swearing about his ear drums popping and Pony being a "fucking wussy" as he put it. This just made me laugh harder. I stood there laughing there for what seemed like ages. I guess this was really starting to piss off Dally who eventually wondered off. I could see Pony through tears. He looked somewhat pissed and embarrassed. I made myself stop laughing, partly because I was worried that if Pony turned any more red he would blow up and partly because I had a stomachache.

"It's not funny." He tried to look angry but ended up only looking more humiliated.

I quietly laughed to myself. That would show him not to ever expose any of my crushes again. I felt kinda bad that Dally had seen the whole thing though; he always thought Pony was kind of weak. This would only urge those thoughts on.

I took some toilet paper, squashed the daylights out of the poor bug and threw it in the trash can.

"There, there Ponybaby its all gone now" I said making a cute face.

After turning beet red, Pony gave me a nasty look as he hopped off the toilet. "You're not one to talk, miss 'eek, a rat'" he said imitating me.

I felt I had tortured him enough so I dropped the subject.

"Hey you wanna go to a movie today?" I asked as I fallowed him into him and Soda's room.

"Nah, I think I manna hang out here today." He replied.

"What? Too traumatized?" I asked snickering.

He just simply threw a pillow at me. I didn't bother to throw one back at him, because of the awful cramps I had in my stomach from laughing too much. I suddenly got up.

"Okay, well I'm outta here." I walked into my room which was connected to Soda and Pony's by a fold up door.

"Where are ya going?" Pony asked.

"Well first..." I began as I searched through my closet for something to wear. "I plan on getting dressed, then......I dunno wander around I guess. Maybe I'll run into someone to tag along with for the day."

I pulled out a short sleeved t-shirt and jeans; I figured it wouldn't be too cold, since it was a mid July day. I pulled on my jeans and t-shirt real quick in the bathroom and checked my hair. It was surprisingly decent looking today. Over the winter it had turned into a dark auburn, but I figured it would lighten up in the summer. I looked around for Darry to tell him I was off, but I guess he must have already left for work. I was ready to head out the door when Pony caught up to me trying to pull a jean jacket on and announced that it was too good of a day to stay inside so he decided to join me instead.

With that we headed outside, and as the warm summer sun hit my bare arms, for the first time in eight months, the thoughts of Dally, mom and dad, my brothers, the gang, or even the simplest thing such as what to cook for dinner disappeared out of my mind. The only thing I was thinking about now was what kinds of adventures awaited me and my friends for the summer. It's true what they say, the summer sun brightens up the darkest of days.

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A/N: I'm not sure if that was a good ending or not. I'm not sure if I should have started this story at all. Hmm...I need some advice...definitely. That's where you come in... It would be so helpful. I probably shouldn't have taken on another story when I have three other ones to review, but I'm kinda stuck on Bad Things Have Good Outcomes anyways, and I've always wanted to write a Curtis sister story so o well. Please drop in some comments or suggestions before you go thanks!

Tara


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